Vibe struggles to honour main man

IN Irish rock music terms Phil Lynott is such a sacred cow that neither his musical legacy nor his character can be touched, never mind criticised. The myth has it that he epitomised the persona of The Rocker, and that his band, Thin Lizzy, was at the forefront of melodic hard rock that influenced generations of commercial hard rock groups. The reality is slightly less hagiographic, with Lynott the man capitulating at the thought of forsaking his rock'n'roll lifestyle, and being the writer of a handful of excellent songs and many mediocre ones.

Thursday night's 10th anniversary vise For Philo inevitably commemorated the musical side of Lynott, allowing the myth to supercede all else. What else could it do? What a pity that most of the music on offer was - however well intentioned - thoroughly dull, why did the capacity audience have to wade through the likes of tribute band Limehouse Lizzy, Toss The Feathers, Bree Harris, Whipping Boy, and, quite inexplicably, hardcore artist Henry Rollins (who hilariously flounced off in a fit of pique because the audience wouldn't listen to him. Very hardcore, that, I must say.)?

No, despite some of the exmembers of various Thin Lizzy line-ups getting it together for one more time (augmented by guest vocalists Therapy's Andy Cairns and Def Leppard's Joe Elliot, this very loud and heavy vibe had an air of the desperate about it, with almost everyone not wanting to admit that you can't really have a successful celebration concert without the main celebrant.